Down
Range: Navy SEALs in the War on Terrorismby Dick Couch
In America’s battle against al-Qaeda and their allies, the goal of
the Navy SEALs is to be the best guns in the fight—stealthy, effective,
professional, and lethal. Here for the first time is a SEAL insider’s battle
history of these Special Operations warriors in the war on terrorism.

“Down range” is what SEALs in Afghanistan and Iraq call their area of
operations. In this new mode of warfare, “down range” can refer to anything
from tracking roving bands of al-Qaeda on a remote mountain trail in Afghanistan
to taking down an armed compound in Tikrit and rousting holdouts from Saddam
Hussein’s regime. It could mean interdicting insurgents smuggling car-bomb
explosives over the Iraqi-Syrian border or silently boarding a freighter
on the high seas at night to enforce an embargo. In other words, “down
range” could be anywhere, anytime, under any conditions.

In Down Range, author Dick Couch, himself a former Navy SEAL and CIA
case officer, uses his unprecedented access to bring the reader firsthand
accounts from the warriors in combat during key missions in Afghanistan
and Iraq. Couch creates a pulse-pounding, detailed narrative of the definitive
engagements of this war, while painting an unusually intimate portrait
of these warriors in the field. The performance of the SEALs in difficult,
changing environments—in the heat of the Afghan desert, in the snow-packed
Hindu Kush, on the high seas, and in the urban chaos of Baghdad—has been
nothing short of extraordinary. The SEALs, coordinating with other American
forces, the CIA, and foreign special operations units like the Polish GROM,
have once more shown their genius for improvisation and capacity for courageous
action in leading the fight against this new and vicious enemy.

The first battle history of its kind, Down Range is a riveting close-up
of some of America’s finest warriors in action against a deadly foe.
Paperback from Three Rivers Press -

Good
to Go : The Life and Times of a Decorated Member of the U.S. Navy's Elite
Seal Team Twoby Harry Constance, Randall Fuerst
In the mid-nineteen sixties, Harry Constance made a life-altering journey
that led him out of Texas and into the jungles of Vietnam. As a young naval
officer, he went from UDT training to the U.S. Navy's newly formed SEAL
Team Two, and then straight into furious action. By 1970, he was already
the veteran of three hundred combat missions and the recipient of thirty-two
military citations, including three Bronze stars and a Purple Heart. Amazon.comPaperback - 413 pages Reprint edition Avon; ISBN: 0380729660

Master
Chief: Diary of a Navy SEALGary R. Smith
Paperback
A winner of the Purple Heart recounts his fifth tour of duty in Vietnam
as a member of the elite Navy SEALs and his rise to the highest enlisted
rank, master chief petty officer. Ingram

One
Perfect Op: An Insider's Account of the Navy Seal Special Warfare Teamsby Dennis C. Chalker, et al
Dennis Chalker says "the greatest challenge offered by the U.S. military
[is] to become a Navy SEAL." A former SEAL himself, Chalker tells of his
life and times in one of the military's most elite units. Much of One Perfect
Op describes the extensive training each SEAL goes through, not only to
become a SEAL but to remain one: "Our training had been hard and dangerous
for a reason: you train as you fight." And the training certainly was hazardous--Chalker
describes how one of his teammates was killed during an exercise. About
half the book goes by before Chalker sees his first real combat, during
the invasion of Grenada in 1983. His unit was tasked with protecting the
island's governor. He also saw action in Panama and on a number of other
operations, though he often leaves out the names of places and dates because
these remain classified. His career was certainly varied. He was once part
of "Red Cell," a special SEAL team whose job was to play the part of terrorists
and test the security of naval facilities. At another point, he stormed
a hostile beach to help a family escape. His equipment included all the
standard SEAL hardware--guns, night-vision goggles, etc.--as well as a
baby carrier and pacifier. Richard Marcinko writes the introduction (Chalker
served under him), and his fans will easily become Chalker's fans as well.
--John
Miller - Amazon.comHardcover: 332 pagesWilliam Morrow & Co; ISBN: 0380978040; (March 26,
)

Point
ManJames, Chief Watson
Chief Petty Officer James "Patches" Watson was there at the beginning
of the Navy SEALs--America's deadliest and most elite fighting force. This
is the story of a hero who walked the point through three tours of Vietnam
. . . staying alert to trip wires, booby traps and punji pits as he guided
his squad on mission after mission.
Paperback